Chest binder

ABSTRACT

A chest binder that includes limited stretch regions that allow for binding of breast tissue and flexible regions that enhance wearer comfort. A torso of the binder is formed from a flexible first layer of fabric to define an inner space for the body of a wearer. A limited stretch second layer of fabric is adhered to at least a portion of the torso proximate to any breast tissue of the wearer. A pair of straps are connected at one end to the torso and extend laterally about the torso so that the opposing ends of the straps may be releasably attached to the torso to selectively narrow or widen the inner space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/217,918 filed on Jul. 2, 2021.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to chest binders and, more particularly, to a chest binding system having enhanced comfort and wearability.

2. Description of the Related Art

Chest binding is the process of compressing breasts for a flatter appearance and is an important contributor to the wellbeing and mental health of many transgender and non-binary people. Chest binding helps create a more masculine silhouette and reduce gender dysphoria, distress related to the misalignment between physical sex and gender identity. However, 97 percent of the users of binding systems report negative physical symptoms related to binding. The negative symptoms range from relatively minor, such as occasionally itching and back pain, to severe, such as rib fractures.

There are a variety of binding methods: wearing a tight sports bra; layering sports bras or shirts; wrapping the chest in bandages, plastic wrap, or duct tape; or wearing a purpose-built binder. Bandages, plastic wrap, and duct tape are high-risk binding tools discouraged in many transgender health and popular sources. There is no regulation on binder designs and there are many areas of concern: there is no clear evidence of medical consultation in the design process; some popular binders were designed for male bodies and may fit transgender and non-binary users poorly (e.g. compression tops to disguise gynecomastia in cisgender men); and there is no known anthropometric data on transgender and intersex people available to the design community. For instance, binders developed using normative female anthropometrics may not fit female-to-male (FTM) transgender people taking testosterone hormone therapy, and long-term binding could result in changes to posture and muscle tone that would impact fit.

Conventional binding systems often involve the use of compression garments that must be stretched over the head and then the body of the user and positioned in place. These systems often fit poorly and can be difficult to put on and take off, particularly for users with physical disabilities or medical conditions. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a chest binding system that provides the desired result without any negative symptoms.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a comfortable chest binder that includes limited stretch regions that allow for binding of breast tissue and flexible regions that enhance wearer comfort. More specifically, the binder comprises a torso formed from a flexible first layer of fabric to define an inner space for the body of a wearer. A limited stretch second layer of fabric is adhered to at least a portion of the torso proximate to any breast tissue of the wearer. A pair of straps are connected at one end to the torso and extend laterally about the torso so that the opposing ends of the straps are releasably attachable to the torso to selectively narrow or widen the inner space. The first layer is dimensioned to encompass a central abdomen area of a wearer and can also be dimensioned to encompass a pair of hips of a wearer. The second layer extends to be proximate to a lower abdomen area of a wearer. The second layer can also extend to be proximate to a pair of hips of a wearer. The chest binder may further comprise a pair of shoulder straps positioned to form a V-neck. The pair of shoulder straps may be formed from the first fabric. The first fabric may be cotton jersey, wool, bamboo, linen, elastane, or combinations thereof. The second fabric may be canvas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a breast binder according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a back view of a breast binder according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a breast binder according to the present invention shown positioned on a user;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a breast binder according to the present invention shown positioned on a user; and

FIG. 5 is rear perspective view of a breast binder according to the present invention shown positioned on a user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in FIGS. 1 through 5 a chest binder 10 according to the present invention. Binder 10 is a wearable garment having a torso 12 that forms an inner space 14 for the wearer. Torso 12 is formed by a first layer 16 of a stretch fabric, such as jersey, and second layer 18 formed by non-stretch or limited stretch fabric, such as canvas. First layer 16 may be short and just encompass the central abdomen, or longer to extend to contact or cover the hips of a wearer. In FIG. 1 , second layer 18 is shown in phantom as it is preferably positioned on the inside of first layer 14. In a preferred embodiment, second layer 18 is confined to a panel that extends over the portion of torso 12 that is located proximately to the breast tissue when binder 10 is worn by a user and a corresponding panel extending over the opposing side of torso, as seen in FIG. 2 . Second layer 18 serves as a compression layer that can flatten the breast tissue of the wearer while first layer 16 provides enhanced comfort and wearability of binder 10 over the rest of binder 10. Panels of second layer 18 can be sized and located accordingly for a particular fit or size of the wearer, and additionally located in other areas such as the lower abdomen or hips for additional sculping of the wearer. Second layer 18 may be laminated to first layer 14, sewn together, or adhered to each other using any number of conventional methods. For the purposes of the present invention, the term “limited stretch” refers to fabrics or regions that have less than a 30 percent stretch, with 20 percent stretch found to be acceptable. The term “flexible” refers to higher stretch fabrics, such as those having 50 percent stretch or more.

As further seen in FIG. 1 , a pair of opposing straps 22 and 24 are positioned on either side of torso 12 and fixedly attached at one end to torso 12. Straps 22 and 24 extend laterally about torso 12 and can be releasable attached by their opposing ends to a second location on torso 12 using conventional hook and loop type fastener pads 26 and 28 positioned on straps 22 and 24 and torso 12. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the area between the fixed attachment point of straps 22 and 24 and fastener pads 26 and 28 are formed exclusively from flexible first layer 16. Straps 22 and 24 allow the user to easily adjust binder 10 for a comfortable fit through the period when binder 10 is worn and also allow binder 10 to be more easily put on and taken off. Opposing straps 22 and 24 may be one piece or include individual fingers for more targeted compression. Fastener pads 26 may be larger in area than corresponding pads 28 to provide for a larger area of adjustment.

Binder 10 includes a pair of shoulder straps 30 and 32 that form a low V-neck so that binder 10 can be worn discretely under most conventional garments including sleeveless tops and V-neck shirts. Straps 30 and 32 may be formed from the same material as flexible first layer 16. The particular size and positioning of shoulder straps 30 and 32 and shape and size of the resulting V-neck may be varied for the purposes of hiding under sleeveless tops as long as opposing straps 22 and 24 do not pinch under the arms of the wearer or compress the shoulder blades.

Binder 10 includes a pair of shoulder straps 30 and 32 that form a low V-neck so that binder 10 can be worn discretely under most conventional garments including sleeveless tops and V-neck shirts. Straps 30 and 32 may be formed from the same material as flexible first layer 16. Binder 10 spreads pressure across the ribs, so it is more evenly distributed and removes pressure from the abdomen so that the wearer can more easily breath. Binder 10 also removes pressure from the shoulders and upper back to help avoid pain and pressure ulcers on the shoulder blades.

First layer 16 is preferably formed from cotton jersey knits, but may also be made from other natural fabrics such as wool, bamboo, and linen that are knit for stretchiness, as well as artificial fabrics such as elastane (LYCRA® or SPANDEX®), and blends thereof. Second layer 18 is preferably formed from woven materials such as canvas, but may also be formed from natural and artificial fibers provided they are woven in such a manner to limit the amount of stretch as described above. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A chest binder, comprising: a torso formed from a first layer of a first fabric that defines an inner space for the body of a wearer, wherein the first fabric can stretch at least fifty percent; a second layer of a second fabric adhered to at least a portion of the torso proximate to any breast tissue of the wearer, wherein the second fabric will not stretch more than thirty percent; and at least one strap connected at one end to a side of the torso and extending laterally about the torso, wherein an opposing end of the strap is releasably attachable to the torso to selectively narrow or widen the inner space.
 2. The chest binder of claim 1, wherein the first layer is dimensioned to encompass a central abdomen area of the wearer.
 3. The chest binder of claim 2, wherein the first layer is dimensioned to encompass a pair of hips of the wearer.
 4. The chest binder of claim 1, wherein the second layer extends to be proximate to a lower abdomen area of the wearer.
 5. The chest binder of claim 4, wherein the second layer extends to be proximate to a pair of hips of the wearer.
 6. The chest binder of claim 1, further comprising a second strap connected to an opposing side of the torso and extending laterally about the torso to be releasably attachable to the torso to selectively narrow or widen the inner space.
 7. The chest binder of claim 6, further comprising a pair of shoulder straps positioned to from a V-neck.
 8. The chest binder of claim 7, wherein the pair of shoulder straps are formed from the first fabric.
 9. The chest binder of claim 1, wherein the first fabric is selected from the group consisting of cotton jersey, wool, bamboo, linen, elastane and combinations thereof.
 10. The chest binder of claim 1, wherein the second fabric comprises canvas.
 11. The chest binder of claim 1, further comprising a first fastening pad positioned on the torso and a corresponding second fastening pad positioned on the strap.
 12. The chest binder of claim 11, wherein the first fastening pad and the second fastening pad are formed from hook-and-loop fasteners. 